People

Michael Kirby

Michael Kirby is one of Australia’s most admired public figures. When he retired from the High Court of Australia in February 2009, Kirby was Australia’s longest serving judge.

In addition to his judicial duties, he has served on many national and international bodies, including the World Health Organisation’s Global Commission on AIDS, the International Commission of Jurists, the UNESCO International Bioethics Committee, the UNAIDS Reference Group on HIV and Human Rights, and the UNDP Global Commission on HIV and the Law.

Kirby’s book, A Private Life, is a very personal memoir in which he reflects on his early life, about being gay, about his 42-year relationship with Johan van Vloten, about his religious beliefs and even about his youthful infatuation with James Dean. The biography of Michael Kirby, written by Daryl Dellora, is called Michael Kirby: Law, Love and Life.